Pitch Like a Pro: Tips for presenting your business idea with impact

With Life Sciences Week just around the corner, local innovators like Voyageur Pharmaceuticals will have a prime opportunity to connect and pitch to industry veterans and investors eager to support their continued growth.

What makes a pitch successful? Whether you’re new to pitching or a seasoned entrepreneur, mastering the key elements of a compelling pitch is crucial. Here are some tips to help your idea stand out.

1. Know Your Audience

The most important part of attracting an investor is research. Find out their level of knowledge and determine what aspects of the industry they are most interested in or familiar with. 

Assess their level of knowledge about your industry or product

Thoroughly research your potential investors, analyzing their familiarity with your company and the industry you’re in. You can also examine their investment track record to better understand their focus and experience.

• Have they made successful investments in the past? 
• Do they have sound exit strategies? 
• What does their due diligence process and responsiveness look like? 

Securing an investor is important, but finding the right one is the true game-changer. 

1. Consider Key Factors

Investors will be primarily interested in safety, income, and capital gains. You will want to reflect and address these topics in your pitch.

Here are a few key factors to consider:

Prepare a detailed business plan

Your business plan should include your mission as well as strong return on investment (ROI) projections. For instance:

• Explain how your business will make money and how you plan to scale
• Express your company’s uniqueness and why it will succeed
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of your market, including competitors and trends

Build a winning pitch deck

Win over investors with an impressive pitch deck by including the following:

• Statistics: Highlight market opportunities, growth rates, target demographics, and revenue projections.
• Case Studies: Provide real-life examples showcasing how your company has successfully addressed issues or transformed situations.
• Potential ROIs: Detail all possible scenarios where the investor could achieve a profit.

"Capturing investors’ attention is crucial, as they often make decisions within the first 30 seconds of your pitch. Presenting key industry statistics helps to frame the problem, highlighting the urgency and significance of your solution. Coherent and accurate financial data, presented through both text and visuals, strengthens the credibility of your venture. Remember, numbers and statistics carry weight and perspective—sweat equity alone does not."  

– Ethan Mohan, Voyageur Pharmaceuticals

Be realistic

Keep goals attainable! Don’t overextend what you or your company are capable of doing. Investors like it when a company can plan and then execute against that plan. It shows efficiency, demonstrates predictability, and provides proof of a working track record.

Build a professional online presence

In today’s world, it’s rare to find a business without an online presence. Having an online presence demonstrates marketability, offers networking potential, and provides an excellent platform to showcase innovations.

Leverage your network

A network is built upon a bridge of trust and reciprocity and it’s important to be able to reach out for aid when needed, but also to give assistance when you can. Having a strong network of people speaks to the quality of your business acumen. 

Highlight key milestones

Maybe one the biggest deciding factors in gaining new investors (apart from research) is highlighting your milestones. Give detailed accounts of breakthroughs/innovations, discuss goals met (or exceeded), and share case studies

1. Don't Forget to Pitch Yourself

Now that you’ve got a thorough and engaging pitch as well as a solid business plan and you’ve effectively shared your company’s highlights, it’s time to pitch yourself.

Remember, investors don’t want to just invest in your company or your idea, they want to invest in you. 

1. Start with a clear and compelling introduction
2. Articulate your personal journey including challenges and growth experiences
3. Show when you expect to become profitable
4. Explain how you will clearly use your investment funds

Remember to keep your self-pitch concise and focused,  but also engaging. And always encourage questions from potential investors. 

Successful pitches take time, practice makes perfect. 

Looking to catch standout pitches in action? Check out Calgary Innovation Day on September 25 during Life Sciences Week, where local innovators will showcase their ideas to industry leaders and investors.